


(Never) Meant to be Together

by Theatrical72



Category: The Owl House (Cartoon)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Baby Luz Noceda, Bisexual Camila Noceda, Bisexual Eda Clawthorne, Bisexual Female Character, Comedy, Eventual Fluff, F/F
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-03
Updated: 2021-02-25
Packaged: 2021-03-13 21:13:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 15,843
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28534947
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Theatrical72/pseuds/Theatrical72
Summary: Camila Noceda struggles to balance school, work and raising her one year old infant: Luz. Things only get more complicated when she meets a mysterious woman dumpster diving outside of her work. Suspicion, romance and heartbreak ensure.
Relationships: Eda Clawthorne/Camila Noceda
Comments: 93
Kudos: 245





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Welcome! This is will be a shorter (10ish 3K word chapters) fic as I work on the part 2 of The Owl Fanily. I actually love the Camileda ship and wanted to add my own take on it into the mix. Plus writing baby Luz is too wonderful of an opportunity to pass up. I hope you all enjoy!

Camila Noceda was really trying to pay attention to the Organic Chemistry lecture. This was a critical class for her, if she wanted to be a nurse she needed an A here. But today her mind just wouldn’t focus on what was happening. 

_ Zoning out for one class wouldn’t hurt right? _

Camila shook her head and lightly slapped her checks. 

_ No, so what if you barely got any sleep last night, you are going to stay awake! Then you’re going to go to work! Then you’re going to pick up Luz from childcare! Because you are a good mother and you can do everything on your own. _

Five minutes later Camila had resigned herself to resting on her arms. It couldn’t be helped, especially with a 7 hour shift ahead of her. She didn’t want to fall asleep, but the professor’s voice was dull and made her doze off. If it weren’t for a student pushing past her on their way out she might have slept through her shift.

Camila quickly gathered her things. Looking up, she was surprised to see the professor approaching her.

“Sorry Professor Smith,” Camila said as she put everything into her backpack. “I have to go to work soon.”

“Well, maybe you should consider sleeping after work,” he sounded very annoyed at Camila. “Instead of the middle of my class.”

“It won’t happen again sir,” Camila moved out to the aisle. “I was just up late because of my daughter, she’s restless and-”

“I don’t care for excuses,” Mr. Smith turned around to head back to his desk. “You’re here to learn, have the child’s father chip in.”

Camila turned and rushed out of the room. She didn’t want to say something she’d regret to the professor, even if he was an asshole. Camila was perfectly capable of being a good student, and raising her daughter on her own. She made it through all of last year with Luz pretty much strapped to her chest as she went from class to class. Now that she was older Camila felt more comfortable putting her in the university’s daycare for the whole day.

Walking across campus Camila was struck by the pleasant early fall weather. A gentle breeze blew some of the early brightly colored leaves across her path. Camila looked around her, most of the area was still green, but the tops of some trees were changing colors.

_ It’s already fall again. I wonder if I’ll be able to take Luz to a pumpkin patch this year? I’m pretty sure there’s one nearby but I can’t say for certain. _

Living in a small college town had some benefits, but the lack of transportation outside of campus was a problem. The small apartment she lived in was close enough to walk to school but getting anywhere else besides the store was usually more trouble than it was worth. Still, the thought of seeing Luz standing next to a giant pumpkin was really tempting.

Camila’s walk came to an end as she entered the Student Center. Her job at the “authentic” Mexican fast food restaurant was demeaning in a lot of ways but it paid the bills. Listening to students mispronounce dishes, trying to order entirely in Spanish for a class, or having to deal with some flat out asking for her number wasn’t too much of a bother anymore. She had long grown used to it, and had considerably lowered her daily expectations in the process. Even so, she really hoped she’d be able to get the job at the local pharmacy. Having any medical experience outside of school would be a huge help for grad school applications.

“Noceda,” her coworker’s, Lucy, call snapped her out of her thoughts. “Garbage is full, mind taking it out?”

“No problem,” Camila said as she made her way to the kitchen. 

Saying the trash was full was an understatement. The bin was completely overflowing! Camila internally groaned to herself.

_ Sometimes I swear they do it on purpose just to give me more work.  _

Camila rolled up her sleeves and, somehow, managed to get everything to fit inside the garbage bag and tie it up. Now came the difficult task of hauling it outside. 

_ Lift with your knees, don’t drag it or it will tear, and just don’t do anything to hurt your back again. _

She managed to get it to the giant dumpster, and thankfully the lid was already open. Camila heaved the bag up to the top, pushed it in and-

“Ouch!”

Camila took a step away from the dumpster at the sound of a pained woman’s voice.

“H… Hello?”

A woman older than Camila stood up from inside the dumpster and rubbed her head.

“Jeez, is that anyway to say hello to a girl?”

The first thing Camila noticed was the woman’s hair. It was bright orange with grey roots beginning to show. It was totally unkempt and looked closer to a hairdo from the 80’s than anything from today. The second thing Camila noticed were the pointy ears that stuck out from the hair. They looked like something out of  _ The Lord of the Rings _ but Camila was certain they were real. 

“M… Ma’am,” Camila tried to sound authoritative but her voice wavered. “I must ask you to please step out of the dumpster.” 

“Oh, is this one your’s?” The strange woman asked as she climbed out. Her red dress was highlighted by a yellow gem in the center of her chest. “Sorry, I didn’t see a sign so I thought it was free game.”

“It’s not mine, it’s the restaurant’s,” Camila started making her way back to the door. “It’s illegal to dumpster dive, I won’t call the police but please don’t come back.”

The woman titled her in head confusion.

“Wait, so you don’t want this trash but you don’t want me to look through it?”

“I don’t mind,” Camila said as she opened the door back inside. “It’s just that it’s against the law.”

“Well if you don’t mind,” the woman turned around and went back in the dumpster.

“I just said it’s illegal!” Camila called as she went back inside.

“Trust me!” The woman responded. “This is one of the least illegal things I’ve ever done!”

Camila rolled her eyes as she headed back inside. She made it halfway back to the kitchen before she paused.

_ Who was that person? She said she’d done other illegal things. Maybe I should go back and ask for her name. See if she’s wanted by the police. _

Camila turned back and before she had time to realize how bad of an idea it was to ask a criminal who she was, she was back outside.

“Excuse me,” Camila called at the dumpster. “Can I have your name?”

“Couldn’t stay away huh?” The woman poked her head out of the dumpster. “I don’t blame you, I do tend to attract people with my charms.”

The woman fluffed out her hair and gave Camila a smouldering look. Camila rolled her eyes, why do people always assume she’s interested in her when she’s just talking to them?

“Just give me your name please?” Camila was really getting annoyed with the strange woman.

“Alright alright,” once again the woman climbed out of the dumpster. “Want to be on a first name basis before we date, I get it.”

Camila felt her face get red at the sheer brashness of the woman in front of her.

“I don’t want to dat-”

“Oh lighten up,” the woman snorted as she approached Camila. “That was a joke. I’m Edalyn Clawthorne, but please call me Eda.”

Eda held up her hand for Camila to shake. Knowing exactly where that hand had been, Camila decided it would be wise not ro reach out and shake it. Opting to instead move back towards the door.

“Thank you… Eda… I’ll leave you-”

“Hang on there,” Eda moved around Camila to block her from the door. “I gave you my name, it’s only fair that you give me yours.”

Camila hesitated, giving her name to strangers wasn’t something she usually did. Granted, her name tag clearly stated her first name. Looking at Eda, she had an innocent smile on. It seemed like all she really wanted to know was her name. Camila let out a sigh.

“I’m Camila,” she answered, but Eda didn’t budge.

“Well duh, it’s right there on your shirt,” Eda pointed to her nametag. “Come on, first and last name, please?”

“Fine, but then you have to let me get back to work,” Eda nodded and Camila took a deep breath. “Camila Noceda, my name is Camila Noceda okay?”

“No-seh-dah,” Eda lingered on each syllable to make sure she got it right. “Alright Camila, I’ll see you around.”

Eda moved and gestured grandly to the door.

“Hopefully next time not in a dumpster,” Camila said as she opened the door. “Nothing in there but old food.”

“Really?” Eda looked at the dumpster disappointed. “Dang, waste of a trip then. Know any good dumpsters nearby?”

“No,” Camila started shutting the door. “But if you want food, stop inside sometime.”

“Is it good food?” Eda asked.

“God no,” Camila said with a chuckle.

The door shut with a click and Camila let herself breath a little. Eda, while clearly some kind of criminal, was clearly a nonviolent person. If Camila had to guess she’d say probably homeless and had to resort to petty theft to make it by. 

_ I’ll still call the police and let them know I saw her. Better to be safe than sorry. _

Returning to the register, Lucy shot her a look as she rushed in the kitchen. There was a line at the register and she clearly wasn’t happy Camila had taken a while to dispose of the trash.

“What’s been keeping you Noceda?” Lucy shot as Camila walked past.

“I couldn’t get the bag in the dumpster,” Camila shot back. “It was too full, so I had to leave it in your car.”

Before her coworker could come up with something to say back, Camila started taking orders from hungry students. While the lunch rushes were their busiest time, the moment classes ended at three o’clock things picked right back up. The next three hours dragged before she got off, and even with the rush things tended to drag when it was just you and Lucy. At six o’clock sharp she the hung up her apron and headed outside. 

The sun was lower in the sky than usual, another reminder of the changing seasons for Camila. Another walk across campus was required to reach the childcare facilities. The small building had a miniature playground outside along with various toys and balls. Walking inside, Camila was greeted with children’s art hung up along the walls by clothespins on twine. As far as she knew Luz hadn’t made any of it yet but hopefully she would soon.

She reached the room where she had dropped Luz off and entered. Sitting on the ground, with a girl just about Camila’s age, was her daughter. Her dark brown hair was short and soft. She flipped through a book, looking at the images of animals. The girl looked up as she heard Camila enter and waved to her.

“Hi Camila,” she said cheerfully.

“Hello Bridgette,” Camila waved back. She kneeled down in front of Luz who had yet to notice her. “Hola Mija, ¿cómo estás?”

Luz finally looked up, the serious expression on her face morphing into a smile at the sight of her mami.

“M… ma...ma,” Luz tried to speak as she dropped the book so she could push herself up. Camila waited until she actually got off the ground before picking her up.

_ Oof! She’s gotten heavier! Hopefully she starts walking soon so I can give myself a little bit of a break. _

“How was she today Bridgette?” Camila asked the girl who also stood up. Luz was the last kid in the room, as usual. The other rooms had other children whose parents had later classes but Luz had been here since 8:00AM and could get fussy.

“We actually had a good day today,” Bridgette said with a smile. “She still is having trouble walking but she can stand up no problem which has saved my back a ton. She enjoyed lunch and had some snacks, so she’s finally getting used to eating with us.”

“Oh, ¿quién es mi chica grande y fuerte?” Camila rubbed her nose against Luz’s making the baby laugh. “Thank you Bridgette, see you tomorrow?”

“Yep,” she waved as Camila left the room with Luz.

Camila thanked her lucky stars that she had been able to get a stroller, because the thought of carrying Luz back to their apartment nowadays was daunting. The day was cooling off but the sun was still relatively high in the sky by the time they made it back. The simple three story building that they called home wasn’t much, nor was the studio apartment that Camila lived in. There was room for her bed, Luz’s crib, some toys and a small table along with the kitchen and bathroom. 

_ At least I have my own bathroom. I can’t imagine what I’d do with Luz in a dorm where floors share bathrooms.  _

After putting Luz in her crib, Camila walked over to the phone. Honestly at this point she wasn’t sure who to call or what she would tell them. This wasn’t a 911 emergency and she didn’t have the local police department’s number on hand. Besides, it’s not like she knew where Eda would be, if she was wanted there weren’t a whole lot of places in town she could lay low.

_ She may have been joking too. Who confesses that they’re criminals to strangers who catch them in the act of a crime? _

With a sigh Camila moved away from the phone and to the table. Her textbooks hadn’t moved since that morning when she had finished up today’s homework. She had an hour before she and Luz would have to eat and she intended to use that time studying.

Ten minutes passed until Camila heard Luz calling out from her crib.

“Ma… Ma… Ma… ”

Camila leaned back and took a look at her daughter. Luz had managed to stand up and was gripping the sides of the crib. She bounced in place as she struggled to maintain her upright position.

“Hola mija,” Camila called before returning to her books.

“Ma… Ma… Ma… "

Camila sighed and stood up and walked over to Luz.

“Mija, Mami needs to work right now,” Camila knew reasoning with the infant was pointless but it helped her.

Luz reached up and tried to grab at Camila. 

“Please Mija, don’t give me that face, you know I can’t resist it when you give me that face.”

Luz’s blank expression didn’t change in the slightest. She just continued to reach for her mami, her bouncing her on her feet. Camila let out a defeated sigh and picked up Luz. She smiled as Camila held her up to her face.

“Okay, I’ll hold you but I need to work, ¿comprendes?”

Luz answered by grabbing the glasses of Camila’s face. Before she could put them in her mouth Camila gently grabbed them back and put them out of Luz’s reach by placing them on her head.

“I’ll take that as a yes.”

Returning to her work, Camila began reading from the page she left off as she bounced Luz on her knee. Luz, for her part, was satisfied just to sit there, suck her thumb and occasionally try and flip the page. It was an exercise in patience to get Luz to stop when she did the latter. After fortyish minutes of work Luz wanted to be placed down. Camila put Luz on the floor and watched as she made her way to her toy corner.

“¿Qué es Eso?” Camila asked Luz as she picked up a toy. “Eso es un búho.”

Luz simply shook the owl toy. As far as development went, Luz was doing perfectly well for a one year old. She could pick up food and feed herself. Her use of utensils was improving. Speaking was slower but still nothing to worry about. Just like Camila’s mother would say: “Babies will speak when they have something to say.” 

“I wish you could meet your abuela,” Camila said to Luz, even though she knew Luz couldn’t understand her. “She wants to meet you but I can’t afford to fly her out here. Once I’m a nurse and am making a little more money, we’ll send her a ticket. She’ll fly across the ocean just like I did and you’ll get to sit on her lap. You’re going to break her heart Mija, just like you broke mine.”

At this point studying took a back seat to making sure Luz didn’t choke on anything. Camila didn’t have many small objects, but that didn’t mean she could just leave Luz to her own devices. Camila would read a paragraph, look over at Luz, then return to the next paragraph. When it was finally dinner, Camila barely moved a full page.

“Alright Mija,” Camila stretched her arms and neck. “Time for supper.”

She walked over and picked Luz up. Camila grabbed her highchair and buckled Luz into it. She walked over to the cabinets and pulled out Cheerios for Luz and a ramen packet for herself. She poured a small pile of cereal that Luz immediately started grabbing at. Meanwhile Camila set a pot full of water to boil. She opened up the fridge and grabbed the bottle of whole milk and tub of yogurt she had. She also grabbed a banana and cut that up. Placing a glob full of yogurt into a plastic bowl along with the banana slices. By then the water was boiling and Camila dumped the noodles into it. Next came filling a sippy cup with the milk. She put the milk away, added the seasoning to the ramen then took it all off the stove. After stirring for a few seconds she poured her soup into a bowl for herself. 

Arms full, she brought everything to the table. As expected, Luz had managed to spill half the Cheerios onto the floor. Still, it looked like she had fun while Camila got everything ready. Making sure to get both a banana slice and plenty of yogurt on the spoon, she brought it up to Luz, who happily swallowed it.

“Good girl,” Camila said softly, taking a moment to get some noodles for herself. Back and forth, she fed Luz, then herself. Both not stopping until their respective bowls were clean.

After food came more studying, this time she put Luz in her crib with a few of her toys. A few hours passed and Camila had to start laundry and wash dishes. After that she got ready for bed with Luz. Finally, she lay Luz down as she stayed up just a little later studying. When Camila couldn’t keep her eyes open any longer she decided to go to bed, but not before kissing Luz on the forehead.

“Buenas noches, cariño.”


	2. Chapter 2

In her tired state, Camila wasn’t sure if she had woken up right before or after Luz started crying. It felt like it was the former, as if somehow she sensed Luz would start crying and would need Camila to take care of her. Regardless, the fact remained that Luz was crying. With a yawn Camila rolled out of bed and over to her daughter’s crib.

“Mija, it’s so early, what’s wrong?” Camila picked Luz up and knew immediately what had happened. “Dirty diaper huh? No te preocupes, mami will fix it.”

Changing the diaper was easy. Luz cried but didn’t squirm and Camila worked quickly. The problem was that once Luz was up, she didn’t like to go back to sleep. The crying continued after the change and she didn’t want her pacifier. Camila grabbed the milk from the fridge and poured some out for Luz to sip on. The girl quieted down once she started drinking. 

Camila walked with Luz over to the bed. They didn’t have a TV or any source of entertainment outside of the few books Camila had bought when she could afford to. She had been getting into the works of Paulo Coelho, reading them out loud to Luz to help improve her English and to calm her daughter down.

_ “I learned about the Dark Night,” she said to the now silent forest. “I learned that the search for God is a Dark Night. And that’s hardly a surprise really, because for us each day is a dark night. None of us knows what might happen even the next minute, and yet still we go forward. Because we trust. Because we have faith.” _

Camila read until Luz finished drinking. By then the infant was ready to be put back in her crib. Camila tried to lay back down but found that by this point she was more awake than she wanted to be. Thankfully her classes tomorrow were going to be shorter. If she was lucky, which she rarely was, there might even be time in the morning to make some tea to help herself wake up.

_ Like that’ll happen,  _ Camila thought as she tossed and turned,  _ I’ll be rushing to get out the door like usual. _

Sure enough, morning came far too soon for Camila’s liking. Her alarm read 6:55AM, meaning she hit snooze twice in her sleep. With a groan she hauled herself out of bed and went into the bathroom. She got ready for the day in a rush, showering and dressing as quickly as she could. Walking back into the main room, Camila checked on Luz. Her baby was still asleep.

“Buenos días, mija,” Camila stroked Luz’s head as she worked to wake her up. Luz fidgeted a little before opening her eyes.

“Ma...”

“There she is,” Camila scooped Luz up and walked into the kitchen. She grabbed the milk from the fridge along with a container of applesauce. Camila was starting to run low on food, a trip to the store would be in order soon. As she made sure to grab a banana for herself, she really wished she hadn’t slept in.

“We’ve got to hurry mija,” Camila told Luz as she sat down at the table. Luz eagerly grabbed her cup and started drinking. “Mami is running late today.”

Breakfast went by quickly. Once Luz was ready for the day they headed out of the apartment. The morning was chilly, but the sun was already starting to warm the air around Camila as she practically jogged to the childcare building. Bridgette was there waiting to take Luz from Camila.

“Morning, you look tired Camila,” Luz was making the exchange from Camila difficult by clinging to her shirt.

“Luz woke me up in the middle of the night again,” Camila admitted, struggling to pry Luz’s fingers off her. “Then I slept in and missed a chance for a proper breakfast.”

“We’ve got some muffins in our break room,” Bridgette managed to get Luz off Camila and onto her. While Luz looked sad she didn’t cry. “There might also be some coffee but no promises.”

“Gracias Bridgette,” Camila was lucky she had a friend in Bridgette. She gave Luz a kiss on the forehead. “Adiós cariño, espero que te portas bien hoy.”

Camila walked away as Luz reached out for her. She’d give anything to stay with Luz for just another minute, but she was doing this for them. All she had left was one more year of classes before she could begin looking for job placements to make a little more money and while earning credits. Once she started work as a nurse she’d be away from Luz for about the same amount of time but she’d finally be making enough that she could start looking at getting a house. A home for the two of them.

There must have been someone looking out for Camila, because there was coffee left when she entered the breakroom. She didn’t have time to sit down and eat before classes so she grabbed what she needed before she went back outside. The air cooled down the coffee enough that by the time Camila entered her class it wasn’t too hot to drink but still warm. The blueberry muffin was okay for a prepackaged treat. Overall, not a bad morning despite being sleep-deprived.

Her first class was incredibly interesting, infant/child and family services. Camila had already filled a notebook not just with what she’d learned in class but with her own additional notes from what she already knew, taking Luz to the doctor’s office and raising her daughter on her own. Her next class covered the business side of healthcare, which was far less engaging. She knew it was important, especially if she ended up working for a family run clinic, but that didn’t make it any less dull.

Once classes ended, Camila hurried over to the restaurant to begin her shift. Lucy was there again, working the kitchen as usual. As bad of a cook as she was, she was even worse with customers, so that responsibility fell to whoever she was working with. Joey was at the counter when Camila came up to the other register and began taking orders.

“Morning Cam,” Joey said, his sandy blonde hair held in place with a Lakers hat.

“Good afternoon Joey.” 

Joey was the one coworker who was actively nice to Camila, as well as everyone else he worked with. His laid back attitude made him very easy to approach. 

“Heard you dumped garbage in Lucy’s car, that true?” Joey asked as he gave a handful of change to a student.

“Nah,” Camila said as she punched in an order. “Ran into a dumpster diver though. She was really weird, had pointy ears and long hair.”

“Oh, like her?” Joey pointed to the entrance.

Camila looked over, and sure enough, Eda was standing there looking around. She stopped when she noticed Camila looking right at her. Eda waved and made her way over. Unless Camila was mistaken, she was wearing the exact same dress from yesterday.

_ She must be homeless, that dress is too nice to just wear all the time. _

Eda cut in front of all the line and put her elbow on the counter right in front of Camila.

“Well hello,” Eda gave Camila a smirk and raised an eyebrow. “What are the odds I’d see you here?”

“I work here, so very high,” Whatever Eda was doing, it was making Camila very uncomfortable. “There’s a line though so if you don’t mind...”

“Trust me I don’t,” Eda didn’t move, only raise her eyebrow higher. 

Camila and Joey shared a look. He looked like he was about to explode from laughter and Camila just felt embarrassed. It was like Eda was trying to pick up Camila, but why would she do it while she was working?

“Do you mind going to the back of the line?” Camila asked, and Eda’s smirk and eyebrows dropped. She looked behind at the long line that stretched behind her.

“Suuuure,” Eda stretched it out as she returned her focus to Camila. “Can we talk then?”

“I’m working, so you can order food,” Camila felt bad for Eda, she only came to see her. Which was both sweet and a little worrying. 

“Okay,” Eda made her way to the back of the line, firing finger guns at Camila with a lopsided smile. “See you in a few minutes.”

“Sooo, who’s your friend?” Joey’s voice was playful but Camila wasn’t in the mood to humor him.

“She’s a dumpster diver, probably homeless, and quite likely a wanted criminal,” Camila replied as the next customer stepped forward, looking annoyed at having to wait a whole two extra minutes before he could order his low quality food.

“Well aside from that she’s not bad looking,” Camila glared at him. “Aside from the whole ear thing, which is pretty odd but, hey, it’s 2006-- shouldn’t we avoid judging people?”

“Ha ha ha,” Camila deadpanned as the two worked on bringing the line down. 

With each customer they helped, Camila watched as Eda came closer and closer. Hopefully Joey would be the one to deal with her. 

“Next-” Camila’s shoulders sagged as Eda approached her yet again.

“Hey there,” She said with a wink, putting her arm back on the counter. “So listen I- ”

“What can I get you today?” Camila avoided eye contact, electing to stare at the register.

“Dinner would be nice,” Eda’s tone was playful but Camila didn’t care.

“Well, we don’t have a dinner menu,” Camila rolled her eyes. “So please just order something.”

“Did you not hear me?” Eda shifted off her arm and waved her hand in front of Camila. With a groan she finally looked at Eda, she seemed upset but Camila couldn’t tell why.

“I did, and I asked what you wanted to eat,” Camila was used to dealing with annoying guests, so why was Eda getting under her skin so easily? Eda’s face scrunched up.

“Dinner, I’d like to get dinner,” Eda looked right into Camila’s eyes, putting on a confident smirk. “With you.”

There were dozens of customers in the establishment, an equal number of conversations plus the sounds of the kitchen. Yet, in that moment, Camila thought she might have gone temporarily deaf.

“W… What?” Camila asked as she stared blankly at Eda.

“Dinner, you and me, tonight?” Eda repeated, her expression still smug. “What do you say?”

Camila felt her heart pound in her chest. Next to her she was vaguely aware that Joey was still working but that didn’t matter.

_ She wants to take me to dinner? Tonight? She doesn’t know anything about me but she wants to take me to dinner… She! _

“S… Sorry,” Camila backed away from the register. “I can’t… and… you need to go… and… I’m going on break!”

Camila sped past Lucy and into the hallway behind the kitchen. She leaned against the wall, feeling her heart racing. She took several deep breaths as she tried to calm herself down.

_ It’s okay Camila, you’re okay. You’ve been hit on before. But… never by a woman. Why would she do that?  _

Her eyes widened.

_ She’s trying to kill me! That’s what’s going on. She would bring to the middle of nowhere and murder me becuase I know who she is! _

“Camila,” Joey poked his head out of the door. “How you feeling?”

“I don’t know,” Camila felt like she couldn’t stand up even if she tried. Her brain was in a complete meltdown.

“Well, we’re slowing down so go ahead and take a fifteen,” Joey smiled but Camila could tell he was lying. “If you still don’t feel okay, you could probably take off.”

“Thanks,” Camila smiled. “I’ll… I’ll think about it. I’m just a little shocked.”

“No problem,” Joey nodded before ducking back into the kitchen. 

Camila wrapped her arms around her shoulders and put her head down. She felt tired, more tired than she had in a long time. She was training to be a nurse, so she had learned to compartmentalize and withhold her emotions when things grew stressful. Yet, this stranger made her terrified. The thought of anything happening to her or Luz-

_ Luz! What if Eda follows me after work! She could see me pick up Luz. She could follow us home! _

Camila found herself on her feet again. Calmly making her way back to the kitchen. The line was just as long as it had been when she left but Joey was keeping up. 

“Joey,” Camila said quietly as she approached him. “I need to go and make sure Luz is okay, sorry to leave you but--”

“It’s okay,” Joey gave her a reassuring smile. “Go ahead.”

Camila took a look around. There was no sign of Eda but Camila still felt like she was being watched. She didn’t want to take the chance that Eda would come back later. Leaving early meant she’d come up a little short but she’d manage. She could stay ten minutes late the next few days and make up for it. All that mattered was making sure Luz was safe.

Normally Camila would leave by the back, it was closer to the day care facility. But it was also almost always empty. Better to take the main exit and walk a longer way but be surrounded by people. It’s not like she was in a rush today. In fact she’d be a good few hours early. Luz wouldn’t be all alone for once.

Sure enough, the mall was incredibly busy. Camila made her way around buildings and down streets. She was getting close to the daycare, it was just down the street.

“Hey! Wait Camila!”

Camila froze, paralyzed at the sound of Eda’s voice coming behind her. Camila started walking along. It only took a few seconds for Eda to catch up to her.

“Hey…” Eda managed between ragged breaths.

“What do you want with me?” Camila’s voice trembled in fear, she avoided looking at Eda and walked past the daycare. There was no way she’d let Eda know about Luz.

“Dinner,” Eda kept making it sound so easy. “Me and you, it doesn’t need to be fancy. In fact I don’t really do fancy, I’m less of a wine and dine and more of an ale and bail chick.”

“Could you please leave?” Camila’s pace quickened just a little but Eda had no trouble keeping up.

“Not without an answer,” Eda started walking backwards as she tried to catch Camila’s eyes.

“No,” Camila stated simply but that only brought scrunched eyebrows and a frown from Eda.

“No you won’t answer or- “

“No I won’t go out with you,” Camila said sternly, hoping that she hid how scared she was well.

“Oh,” Eda’s frown deepened. “Is this because I came to your work?” She cocked her head. “You invited me, remember?”

“Uggh!” Camila pushed up her glasses and pinched the bridge of her nose. “I told you to come inside if you were hungry. Not ask me to dinner.”

“It’s your fault for that, you were the one who said that the food was bad,” Eda gestured at Camila with outstretched arms.

“So you should have stayed away,” Camila’s fear was quickly getting replaced with anger.

“Maybe I don’t want to stay away from you?” Eda’s voice softened a little but Camila didn’t notice.

“Well I wish you did, now please get out of my way!”

Camila glared at Eda and the woman backed down, shrinking back before turning and leaving in the opposite direction. Camila turned a corner before ducking behind a building. She peeked her head around the corner to see if Eda was in sight but, to her surprise, there was no sign of her anywhere. The street was completely clear except for a few students. There wasn’t a lot of space she could hide anyway. Camila waited a few minutes before moving back out. 

_ Weird that Eda just disappeared like that. I mean, it’s not like she can fly away! _

Camila walked up to the daycare facility, her eyes scanning the street for signs of anything. It was only once she was inside that she let herself take a deep breath.

“Camila?” Bridgette called from down the hall. She was making her way back from the breakroom and gave her a warm smile. “What are you doing here? I thought you worked till 8 again?”

“Is Luz- '' Camila’s voice cracked and she tried to suppress the panic in her voice. “Is Luz okay?” 

“Yeah… ” Bridgette’s brows furrowed. “Is everything okay?”

“I… I need to use your phone, I think someone is stalking me!”


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, do you all remember when depression and school didn't get in the way of me publishing chapters? Well, here's the newest chapter for you guys! I hope you all enjoy and I'll post the next chapter on time I promise!

It only took the university’s campus police five minutes to arrive. During those five minutes Camila waited in the break room, holding onto Luz as tightly as she could. Bridgette was waiting by the front door for the police to show. Camila was doing her best not to break down. Luz simply clung to her mother, simply happy that her mother was there hours early and was holding her.

“Ma…” Luz reached up to grab Camila’s glasses. Camila didn’t know if Luz liked playing with her glasses or seeing her without them, but she moved them on her head and started running her fingers through Luz’s hair.

“No cariño,” Camila said quietly. “We’ll go home soon and you can play with your toys... Mami isn’t going to let anything happen to you.”

“Camila!” Bridgette called. Camila stood up and made her way to her friend. Bridgette was holding open the door as a police car pulled up. Camila grabbed her baby stroller with her freehand and walked over to the officer.

“Hello officer, thank you for- ”

“Yeah, you said you were being stalked?” The officer’s passive voice was a bit concerning but Camila pushed it aside for now. It was hard to make out the details of his face without her glasses but, from what she could tell, he was about fifty, with greying hair and, maybe, brown eyes.

“That’s right officer,” Camila nodded. “I first saw her yesterday- ”

“Wait, her?” The officer looked up with a raised eyebrow. “It’s a woman stalking you?”

“Yes, she was behind our restaurant yesterday and she came in today and then she followed me when I left.”

“Do you have a name?”

“My name is Cami- ”

“Do you have  _ her _ name?” The officer’s bored tone made it clear he wasn’t concerned about the situation.

“Oh, yeah, her name is Edalyn Clawthorne,” Camila watched as the officer punched the name into the dashboard computer. Camila couldn’t see what it read but the officer’s expression didn’t change.

“...Hmmmm… ” The officer’s face dropped. “Doesn’t look like she’s had any previous offenses… no citations… There’s nothing under Edalyn Clawthorne. She’s clean as a whistle.”

“Wh- what do you mean?” Camila asked as the officer gave her a glassed over look. Camila could have sworn his eyes weren’t grey before.

“There is no Eda Clawthorne,” The officer mumbled. He blinked and his eyes went from grey to brown. “Sorry lady, probably just being paranoid.”

“Excuse me?” Her blood turned hot as the officer shrugged. 

“Just saying,” He looked between Camila and Luz, just noticing she was holding the baby. “Will you and your kid want a ride? If you’re still worried ab- ”

“Yeah no shit I want a ride!” Camila snapped. “Do you think I called the police for the hell of it and don’t fear for me or my daughter’s life? ¿ Eres estúpido?”

“No need to be rude,” The officer replied as he unlocked the door. “Go ahead and get in the back.”

Camila swung the back door open with maybe a little too much force but she didn’t care. This mediocre excuse for a police officer needed to be investigated. She’d place another call later in the day, once she was safe behind locked doors. For now she had to wrestle the folded up stroller into the back seat. Next she slid herself in while holding Luz. She never bothered to buy a car seat since she didn’t own a car, so Luz was held tightly in her lap. Bridgette stood by the door, waving to them as they pulled away before going back inside.

What was normally an hour long walk was a simple five minute drive. But to Camila it felt like an eternity. Luz looked at her reflection in the window and was reaching out to touch it. The officer was silent, and the only voice in the car was dispatch calling out codes, most Camila recognized from her ER training as being medical in nature.

_ Seems rather busy for a small college town. Then again, there are plenty of senior citizens, old professors and what not. I doubt any hospital is really slow. _

The car came to a stop in front of their apartment and Camila wasted no time getting herself, Luz and their stroller out. Before she could so much as ask for the officer's name he peeled away.

“¡Oye, estúpido idiota, míralo!” Camila shouted after the car as it disappeared down the street. For a moment it was just her and Luz, outside and exposed. Camila looked around the street, unable to shake the feeling that she was being watched.

“Come on mija,” Camila said to Luz as she grabbed the handle of the collapsed stroller and dragged it behind her as they headed into the building.

The elevator up wasn’t half as terrifying as the walk back to their room. Camila felt certain that at any moment Eda would emerge from the hallway, knife in hand and would end them both. The moment Camila managed to open the front door and shut it she practically collapsed onto the floor. Whatever strength she had left her. It was all she could do to hold Luz in her arms. 

For her part, the toddler didn’t mind suddenly being close to the floor. It gave her a chance to wiggle out of her mother’s grip and crawl over to her toy corner. Camila couldn’t see what Luz was doing, both due to her glasses still being off her face and that Luz’s back was to her. Even though she knew she should keep an eye on Luz, Camila found herself closing her eyes and curling up on the floor, her breath turning shaky as her face met the cold floor.

“Why me? Camila mumbled. “Why couldn’t Lucy have taken it out, why did I have to go back and ask for her name? Now she’s following me from work! She almost saw where Luz spent her whole day! All I… I just want to keep Luz safe!”

The soft pitter-patter of Luz crawling towards her caught Camila’s attention but she didn’t open her eyes.

“What’s going to happen if Eda kills me at work? They’ll have to take you to Abuela. You'd grow up back home… you’d be able to come back here though. I wanted you to have the best life I could give you. If I’m not here then I at least want you to be happy… ”

Camila could feel a stream of tears rolling down her face. The sound of Luz shuffling on the floor grew closer, followed by the thump of Luz sitting down. A small patting on Camila’s face cued her in that Luz wanted attention.

“Ma… Ma… ”

“Uno momento mija,” Camila muttered.

“Mama…. Bu… Bu… Buho… ”

Camila’s eyes snapped open and she reached up to put her glasses back on her face. Luz’s right hand was reaching out to Camila’s face, in her left was the little owl toy. Luz shook it up and down, a smile plastered on her face.

“Mama… Buho… ”

Camila’s mouth hung upon as she sat up. Luz got a little closer to her before holding up the owl for Camila.

“Buho… Mama… ”

“Mija... mija are you saying buho?” Camila reached out and scooped Luz up in her arms. Luz reached up and patted Camila’s cheek. “Are you saying… Mama?”

“Mama… Mama… ” Luz’s smile never once wavered as she patted Camila’s face. 

Camila could feel the tears gather at the corner of her eyes, but not the ones of fear.

“I’m sorry mija,” Camila pushed her glasses up and wiped off her eyes. “I will never let anything take me away from you,” She let her glasses fall back down as she held Luz as close to herself. “Never, te lo prometo.”

“Mama…” Camila doubted Luz was responding to her, but still, hearing her daughter speaking felt like a miracle.

“That’s right, mama’s here,” Camila said quietly.

For the rest of the night, Camila didn’t let go of Luz.

\------ ------ ------

The sound of Camila’s alarm blaring woke her up at 6:35 AM. After shutting it off, she turned over and snuggled next to Luz. She didn’t often let Luz sleep in her bed but she needed it after yesterday. Just to feel her breathing rustle the blanket ever so slightly, listen to her gurgle happily as she drifted off, and her warmth reminded Camila that they were both okay.

Reluctantly, Camila forced herself out of bed. Her regular routine almost convinced her it would be a regular day. Luz was still saying “Mama” and showed no signs of slowing down. Camila had to just leave and reenter the room and Luz would go off, bouncing with excitement.

“Mama… Mama…” Luz slapped Cheerios off her highchair.

“Mija, you’re making a mess,” The mama in question said, unable to hold back her smile. She wiped off the girl’s mouth with a damp washcloth and set to cleaning up after her. She honestly considered staying home with Luz for the day, but that would have to wait till Sunday, her only day off that week.

_ It’ll be worth it, she’s a real talker already. Just like…  _

Camila stopped that train of thought before it could derail her morning. There was no point in lingering in the past. She needed to get a move on if she wanted to drop Luz off on time. Finish packing up her bags, put Luz in the stroller, get in the elevator, get out the door-

A chill ran down Camila’s body the moment she stepped outside. That feeling of being watched returned with a force. It felt like there was someone right behind Camila, their eyes piercing into her from afar. The young mother pivoted on her heels, looking up and down the street for signs of anyone. There were only a few passing cars and other people walking on the sidewalks as far as she could see. No sign of Eda or anything out of the ordinary. Still that feeling refused to leave Camila as she began her walk to the daycare.

Luz was quiet on the walk there today. Which wasn’t unusual but Camila was hopeful that she could hear more of Luz’s adorable voice. Sure so far it had only been two words, and even then mostly just one word, but Luz sounded better than Camila ever imagined. Out of the sides of the stroller, Camila could see Luz reaching out at some passing leaves as they floated by on a breeze.

“It’s almost autumn mija,” Camila explained to the wide eyed girl as she watched the leaves drift away. “Things are going to change all over. Then we’ll get winter… I need to get you new winter clothes. Mierda! I shouldn’t have left early yesterday, we could’ve used that money.”

Camila pinched the bridge of her nose, regretting her over reaction to yesterday's events. It was freaky in the moment, but after a night of thinking things over she calmed down a bit. Eda was definitely not  _ not  _ a criminal, but her jumping to the woman being a stalker or murderer was a bit of a stretch. Eda was right that Camila invited her to eat at the restaurant. It was just a series of things going from weird to uncomfortable and she couldn’t blame Eda for most of it.

“What is Mami going to do mija?” The baby was still looking off to the side, this time at passing cars. “Hopefully I won’t see her again. If I do then what? Should I apologize for overreacting to her… inviting me to dinner? Or should I put my foot down and say I don’t want to see her again?”

“....”

“You’re right mija,” Camila continued. “We’ll cross that bridge when we get there. Just like abuela would say: “Looking too far down the road takes away from the beauty of the now.””

Approaching the day care center did nothing to help Camila’s unease. Bridgette was there as always, her friendly smile lighting up the room as she got the room ready for the day. There was hardly a day when Luz wasn’t the first to arrive. There were other rooms already full of children whose parents had earlier classes than Camila, but for this time range Camila didn’t like to leave things up to chance. She was never late to a class which meant Luz was always first to be dropped off.

“How are you doing Camila?” Bridgette asked as Camila brought Luz over to her.

“Better,” It wasn’t the full truth, but Camila didn’t want to dive into all of her feelings right now. “Luz said her first words!”

Bridgette squealed and reached out to take the infant who, as she did every time, clung to Camila for dear life. Her big brown eyes pleading with her mother to not leave. And just as it did every morning, it broke Camila’s heart to remove Luz’s hands from her. By this point Luz no longer cried when she was with Bridgette but Camila could see how much it hurt her daughter for her to leave.

“What did she say?” Bridgette asked as she bounced Luz in her arms to help her calm down.

“Mama,” Camila said proudly. “And buho, owl in Spanish. She has a stuffed owl and it’s her favorite toy.”

“That’s adorable!” Bridgette looked at Luz with excitement. “Will you be able to say Bridgette soon?”

Luz stared at Bridgette with blank expression before looking back to Camila.

“Mama…” Luz mumbled, her arms outreached towards her mom.

“I take that as a no,” Bridgette said with a smile. “Have a good day Camila.”

Camila waved as she left the room. Today she hadOrganic Chemistry. Another dull lecture where she’d struggle to keep her eyes open. If the material itself was dull, it paled to Mr. Stone’s monotonous droning. There was no emotion, passion, or anything beyond bored to death that Camila could pick up in his voice.

_ Just a few more days until the weekend. After Saturday’s seven hour shift you can spend all of Sunday with Luz. I can try and teach her some more words. I should focus on English, that'd be better for her education. But she needs to know a little Spanish too… especially if we are ever able to afford to fly Mami out here. _

Camila’s mind drifted off for the rest of class. Thoughts of Luz, of her mother, of her swirled around. It wasn’t until her classmates rose from their seats that Camila noticed the lecture was over. She began gathering her things and noticed Mr. Stone approaching.

“Hello Mr. Stone, is there- ”

“Mrs. Noceda,” He interrupted her, narrowing his eyes in a piercing stare. “You got one hundred percent on your last test.”

“Oh!” Camila must have misheard him. She studied hard for the exam of course but she never expected to receive a perfect score. “Well… that’s great ne-”

“Are you aware of the university’s policy on academic dishonesty?” Mr. Stone asked as he once again, cut her off.

“Yes I am, why..?” Camila’s eyes widened in realization. “Mr. Stone… I would never cheat!”

“And no one has ever gotten a perfect score before,” Mr. Stone turned away from Camila. “Based on how often you sleep or stare off in class, I see no way that you’re familiar enough with the material to do as well as you have. I’ll be filing the paperwork this week to remove you from this class and have this plagiarism marked on your permanent record.”

“But Mr. Stone, I never cheated!” Camila exclaimed. The professor ignored her, already leaving the room. 

Camila stood in shock, feeling numb. What had she done to deserve this? She was an honest student who worked hard to earn her grades. Everyone had times when they would doze off, Camila just did it more frequently than others since she was constantly waking up to take care of her daughter. She was planning to fight these allegations… but would it even make a difference?

Camila left the classroom as she worked through her options. Obviously there was no evidence of her cheating other than the professor’s hunch. There weren’t any papers for this class, so they wouldn’t have any evidence of plagiarism. It was a he-said-she-said situation and honestly, Camila was worried they’d believe what he said more than what she said.

_ Looks like my Sunday is going to be spent at the library rather than with Luz. I need to research my options for how I can fight this bullshit. At least I bring her with me to the public library. She loves the play area and looking at the picture books. _

The journey across the mall stretched on far too long. Each step weighed on Camila like a ton of bricks. The five hour shift ahead of her promised to be grueling. The only respite in sight was that she’d be able to see Luz.

_ You’re doing this for her!  _ Camila told herself as she continued on.  _ She’s going to ask you one day how I managed to do all this on my own and I’ll say: “I was doing it for you, there’s nothing I wouldn’t have done for you!” You just have to make it to tomorrow. _

As she approached the employee entrance to the restaurant, a familiar figure was sitting against the wall, eating a burrito and making a face as she ate.

“Titan be damned, she really wasn’t lying, this tastes like shit.”

Eda threw the burrito into the dumpster without looking, Camila watched (begrudgingly impressed) as it sailed inside. Her gaze returned to the woman, who was now sitting with her head in her lap. She was wearing a different outfit today. A cream colored sweater and black leggings. Camila sighed.

_ And now I get to deal with this. _

“Hello Eda,” She greeted, as the woman looked up and slowly rose to her feet.

“Hi Camila…” Eda returned the greeting, rubbing the back of her neck sheepishly. “Ummm, can I talk to you?”


	4. Chapter 4

The human realm was a strange and terrifying place. Granted, Eda was used to living in a realm where rain could kill you and where she was public enemy three. The human world was weird in that there were rules for everything. Not just laws to abide by but social rules. Things she couldn’t do or say here that were completely normal on the Boiling Isles. 

Somehow, she had broken one of those rules with Camila, and it was eating her up not knowing what it was she had done wrong. 

_ Stupid humans and their weird social cues; I did everything right! I asked her out, it was at a public place, it worked with that one guy in Vegas… Sam Fines or whoever that was. Why was she so scared?  _

With a sigh, Eda looked around the abandoned cabin that she had been calling home for the last few months. The once lively home of a dear friend to her and Lilith had been empty since 2003, when their friend Hanna passed away. It took Eda months to find her grave and pay her respects. Lilith hadn’t been to the human realm since she joined the Emperor’s Coven and Eda never told her what happened. It wasn’t like she and her sister talked much anymore, except for the obligatory: “Eda, keep this up and I’ll have no choice but to arrest you!” Lilith would tell her in true big sister fashion.

“Next time I go back there to restock I should tell her,” Eda said to no one. 

It was that realization of being alone that reminded her that she hadn’t let Owlbert out all day. Reaching into her mane of hair, she pulled out her only friend in this or any world: A staff topped with a wooden owl. Carefully unscrewing the owl off, the palisman came to life in her hands, letting out a happy chirp as it nuzzled Eda’s hand.

“Hey there buddy,” Eda stroked the owl’s head. “Not a great day for us huh?”

Owlbert hopped off her hand and fluttered around the empty building. She’d let him actually fly around tomorrow, she needed more human treasures to sell and the owl was far better than she was at finding loot. Just look at what happened on Monday.

“Remember when I said I was going to try and get a date?”

The owl hooted from somewhere above Eda.

“Yeah with Camila, surprised you remembered her name.”

Another hoot followed, and Eda frowned.

“I did not talk nonstop about her!”

The silence that ensued only deepened Eda’s frown.

“Well, I asked her out, and she… she didn’t take it well. Like, she had a full blown panic attack then and there! Then when I followed her she told me no and started shouting at me ”

The soft fluttering of Owlbert’s wings from above drew her attention as the owl glided onto her lap.

“Then she called the police,” Eda said quietly. “I… I don’t know what I did wrong buddy. Things here are so.. Complicated! Back home I’m a wanted criminal and here I can’t figure out how to talk to humans… I just don’t fit in anywhere.”

Eda felt her eyes burn with unshed tears, and brought her knees up to rest her head on them. Owlbert hovered in the air before her.

“Lilith said that if I stayed I’d need to join a coven,” Eda’s voice faltered. “But I can’t just give up all my magic, all my freedom! And I’d be supporting a system that’s actively trying to hurt people. Here I can make do, but I’m even more alone. I still need to go back home to get more of that stupid elixir when I run out anyways.”

Eda brought a hand up to wipe her eyes.

“Then this woman shows up and… She’s… I don’t know! She’s funny and she’s good looking but… I looked into her eyes and I swear I just... I’m not good with Oracle magic but I saw us growing old together, I shit you not.”

A shrill chirp from Owlbert followed.

“Yeah yeah, I’ll add something to the jar,” Eda cracked a smile. “It’s fine if she doesn’t want to date me but this was the first time I actually met someone I liked since all those flings at Hexside.”

As quickly as the smile appeared it vanished on Eda’s face. 

“I don’t know what I’m going to do,” She admitted to Owlbert. “I’m just tired of feeling so alone.”

Owlbert leapt from Eda’s knee and onto her shoulder, leaning against her head and letting out some comforting chirps.

“Obviously I don’t feel alone when I’m with you,” Eda reached up and stroked the owl’s soft feathers. “But it’s not the same.”

Eda looked at the small area she had come to call home. Her sleeping bag, a sack full of clothes, and some food were all set up around the fireplace. Another stack was kept in the corner, wrapped tight with thick chords. On the back of the wall was the door that led back to the Boiling Isles. It was closed, but all Eda needed to do was to hit the key and she could go back.

“What do you think buddy? Maybe it’s time to throw in the towel and join Lily in that coven of hers. Might even be able to cure the curse.”

Eda closed her eyes, trying to imagine a world without the pain she felt nearly everyday. Where she wouldn’t need to take that disgusting elixir to function... She’d be a faceless drone behind a white mask, blindly following orders and doing whatever that jerk of an emperor demanded.

Then Camila’s face flashed in her head, giving her that playful smile as she told Eda how bad the food was as she went back inside. Dark brown hair tied up in a bun made her look older but still adorable. That and her glasses, Eda didn’t normally fall for the bookish types but with this total stranger something just felt… right. 

Would Eda ever be able to really move on if she didn’t try to make things right? If Camila knew that she wasn’t from here, maybe she’d give her another chance. At the very least she could apologize and rest easy with the fact that she had tried.

“How about this?” Eda stood up and walked over to the fireplace. Putting a few logs into the empty hearth, she waved a finger, summoning a fireball and instantly set the pile ablaze. “What if tomorrow, I go and try to patch things up? If she doesn’t accept that then I’ll go find Lily and join the coven. At least then I’d have all my magic.”

Owlbert hooted sympathetically and nuzzled Eda.

“Thanks bud,” Eda picked him up and screwed him back onto the staff for the night. “At least I’ll always have you.”

\------ ------ ------

The small cabin filled with light, and Eda rolled over, avoiding the sunlight. She rubbed her feathered arms to try and stay warm.

_ Feathers?! _

Eda shot up from her nest of blankets. Sure enough, feathers were growing out of her arms. As quickly as she could, she went to the sack in the corner of the room and untied the ropes. Reaching inside, she pulled out a bottle filled with golden liquid. She uncorked it and, after a deep breath, started chugging it down. The moment the feathers on her arm vanished, she put the bottle down, coughing and gagging.

“Stupid curse!” Eda spat out. “Just once could you not bother me in the morning?”

With as much enthusiasm as she could muster, she walked back over to the fireplace and prepared breakfast. As the cabin filled with the smell of cooking eggs, Eda cast a cleansing spell on herself, instantly clearing herself of dirt and grime. She went through her sack of clothes. While she was tempted to wear her favorite red dress, she remembered she had worn it for the last week in a row. Not a problem when you could magic it clean but not ideal to impress your crush.

With a sigh she threw on a tee shirt, sweater and some pants. Hopefully Camila would like it, Eda really wanted to give off a welcoming vibe.

As breakfast finished heating up, Eda took Owlbert and uncrewed the little owl from her staff. He sprang to life, hooting happily.

“Yeah yeah,” Eda grabbed the skillet off the fire and handed the owl a piece of bacon. “Food and a day to gather trash, I spoil you don’t I?”

The owl didn’t respond as it swallowed the piece of bacon.

“Well, while you’re out getting goodies, I’ve got to figure out what I’m going to say. Should I play it sexy and seductive or sad and pleading?”

Owlbert gave Eda a side look as he finished his piece of bacon.

“You’re right,” Eda looked back to her own breakfast. The grilled potatoes and bacon looked and smelled good but her appetite wasn’t there, especially after the elixir. “I should be honest with her. Don’t try to play any angles.”

Eda picked up her fork and dug in.

“But you know,” She said through a mouthful of food. “I could wear that one black dress- ”

“HOOT!”

“Okay okay, I was just joking!”

The owl chirped once more before flying out of the house.

“Hey! I’m not a disaster!” Eda shouted, knowing he could still hear her. “Stupid owl! I made him -- what makes him think he knows more about relationships than me?”

Fuming at the little fluff ball’s audacity for daring to doubt her skill, Eda shoved another forkful of egg into her mouth. She didn’t get out often, but she knew how to make men notice her, how to make women blush. That wasn’t hard to do. The difficult part was opening up to others. She and Lilith used to tell each other everything... but not anymore. Her parents didn’t do the whole talk-to-your-kids bit unless it was about how disappointed they were. She’d heard that too often as a kid, then even more when she refused to join a coven. She doubted anything they had to say would be helpful.

“Maybe that’s it,” Eda mumbled through a mouth full of food. “Do the exact opposite of what Mom and Dad would do.”

What would they say about Camila? She’s a human, but Eda couldn’t reveal she was a witch, so don’t bring that up. Camila works at a low paying job so she’s probably lazy, they said that about anyone. Plus, based on the backpack she had, she was probably going to the college as well. She could mention how cool it is that she’s going to school and working at the same time. No one at Hexside did that so it was genuinely impressive to Eda that Camila could.

_ What would they say about her looks? She’s not a bombshell by any means but there’s something about her that’s utterly beautiful to me. Her skin isn’t smooth but not in a bad way. In a “work all day” kind of way. Her eyes are so expressive, and the way the brown color catches the sun... The cute bangs she has swept to the side of her face… yeah I’m not saying any of that to her... today. _

With a sigh, Eda headed out of the cabin.

Without Owlbert, there was no easy way for her to get around the small city. So she began the walk towards the restaurant. Eda could order a taxi, she and Owlbert had “found” plenty of wallets over the last few months so having money for basic necessities wasn’t much of a problem. Still, she’d rather not waste it when she could take the time getting there to figure out what she was going to say.

_ How about this: Hey Camila, how’s it going? I want to say I’m sorry for whatever I said that made you upset. If you could forgive me and let me start over I’d really appreciate it. You seem really hard working. I admire how you can go to school and hold down a job at the same time. Will you go out with me on Saturday? _

Eda shook her head as she repeated it to herself out loud.

“Nope! That’ll get the police called again for sure! Be more formal... but not like Lily formal, no paperwork agreeing to a date or additional conditions should Camila say no.”

Eda took a deep breath and tried again.

_ Hello Camila. I know you said you didn’t want to see me yesterday but I felt really bad. So I’m here to apologize for what I said that made you so upset. I’m new here and there’s a lot of social cues I miss because of that. If I offended you I’m really sorry. It wasn’t my intention. I would like to get to know you better, but if you don’t feel the same that’s fine.  _

Eda nodded to herself.

“I think that’s it, I’ll just go into the restaurant and order food this time. Then I’ll talk with her when she isn’t busy.”

After two hours of walking in heeled boots, Eda was ready to sit down and enjoy some food. She also needed to get shoes that didn’t have two extra inches on them. Something for Owlbert to keep an eye out for. 

“Maybe I should start thinking about getting a job if I start actually dating Camila. If the human realm becomes a permanent thing I might have to anyway. Won’t be hard to enchant some papers, mess with some minds, I’m the most powerful witch around, how hard can it be?” Eda snorted to herself. “Probably as easy as it was to magic myself off of the police records. I have no idea why these humans thought linking all their computers together was a good idea but it really makes magic easy to spread en mass.”

Honestly, even a witch half as skilled as Eda could do what she did. Just bewitch her name to make any law enforcement officer forget who they were looking for. The simple memory charm wouldn’t work in the Boiling Isles, where the Emperor’s Coven were trained to resist the effects of the spell, but here it would work multiple times on the same person.

Eda knew that from an unfortunate afternoon stuck in a loop of the officer asking for her name and then forgetting who she was and asking again.

_ Longest two hours of my life… I’d almost feel bad for the guy if I didn’t feel so bad for myself for having to listen to him ask for my name for two hours. _

Finally, the restaurant was in sight. The smell coming from it was a mixture of grease and cooked meat. Honestly, out of all the human fast food places she’d been to, this was the least appealing. Granted, what she had eaten of human fast food mostly consisted of greased potatoes and meat-like patties. Maybe this place wasn’t as bad as Camila made it sound. 

It didn’t look like anyone was there to eat at the moment. Based on the way the person behind the counter was leaning on his arm, dozing off, there hadn’t been anyone in for a while.

He wasn’t the person that was in yesterday with Camila. If he was, Eda doubted he’d talk to her or even let her in the restaurant.

With a deep breath, Eda entered the restaurant as casually as she could. Strolling up to the counter and looking up at the menu thoughtfully.

“Hmmmm,” Eda said as she rested a finger on her chin.

The cashier jolted upright and wiped a bit of droll off his lip.

“Hello, welcome to Fast N Fresh Mexican Grill,” He greeted sleepily.

“Hi there, ummm… I need a minute to think,” Eda hummed. “Oh, I’m a friend of Camila’s, does she work today?”

“It’s Wednesday right?” The cashier stared at Eda, which gave her plenty of time to note how bloodshot his eyes were.

“It should be, unless I slept all day,” Eda laughed at her own joke. The cashier, his nametag read Craig, continued to zone out.

“Yeah, she’ll be here in…” He glanced at the clock hanging on the wall. “... like 10 minutes. She’s in class right now or something.”

“Okay, in that case I’ll order now and wait for her outside.”

She picked three random items from the menu and paid with an old twenty dollar bill. As she watched them prepare the food, Eda wasn’t sure why Camila made the food sound so awful. It looked like every other restaurant. Assembly production, ready made food, and heat everything in the electric box that beeped. Everywhere else did it, so what made this one so different?

Eda was handed her bag of food and stepped outside to begin eating. She didn’t want to be noticed by Camila in front of the restaurant so she walked around the back, sitting next to the dumpster she had first met Camila in.

_ Wouldn’t that be a story for future kids we had: “I met you mom in a dumpster!” Wait! I don’t even want kids, why… ARGH! Get your head in the game Edalyn! _

In an attempt to refocus, she reached into the bag and pulled out the “Beef and Cheese Burrito” she had ordered. Other restaurants had cheeseburgers and this had the same ingredients but more tubular than circular in shape. How bad could it be?

One bite told her exactly how truly awful it was.

The tortilla was stale, maybe never even fresh to begin with. The cheese was nonexistent except for one little taste of rubber in the sea of what might have been flavors if her mouth wasn’t begging her to spit it out. Whatever meat in there wasn’t beef. It could have been sandpapered pieces of wood for how chewy and dry it was. How were there so many people in there yesterday? Did humans like this? Hell, the food on the Boiling Isles usually had a fifty/fifty chance of outright killing you and Eda would rather have that than this!

“Titan be damned, she really wasn’t lying, this tastes like shit.”

Eda tossed it to the dumpster, her years of Grudgby training paying off as it landed successfully inside. At the end of the day, all it had been good for was getting rid of trash.

“Hello Eda.”

Camila’s voice, though quiet, rang through Eda. Sending shivers up and down her spine. She slowly stood up, and everything she practiced saying on the way over vanished as if someone pulled out the memory and burned it.

“Hi Camila…” Eda panicked and tried to think of anything to say. Something that could buy her more time to figure out how to not sound like a complete idiot. “Ummm, can I talk to you?”


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, this is going to be my last chapter for a little bit. I've got a lot of school work this semester and I need to focus on that for the time being. I'll definitely still work on this and update when I can, but it won't be as frequent. Thanks for reading, I'll see you soon!

If there was one word to describe the minute of silence that followed after she spoke to Camila, it was tense. A tense minute in which Eda wished she could go back to that morning and not leave the cabin. Have a nice day in which she took care of herself. Gone out and visited the mall, the richer side of town and make off with some sweet loot.

Instead she was behind a shitty fast food place, looking at the most amazing woman she’d ever seen, waiting to see if she’d respond to Eda’s request to talk.

“... Umm…” 

Camila was bewildered. Eda also felt surprised, even though she knew that Camila would be here.

“It’s… It’s fine!” Eda said before moving away from the wall and giving Camila space to walk into the restaurant. “I just wanted to apologize. So… I’m sorry, I’ll just go-“

Eda took a few steps away from Camila. Her face burning in shame.

_ You stupid witch! Why did you think this would work? That she’d want to see you. You need to leave before anything worse happens. _

“I’m sorry too…”

Eda stopped moving at the sound of Camila’s voice. It was loud enough that Eda could hear her but still soft. Eda turned around, shocked to see a sorrowful look on Camila’s face.

“I lashed out at you,” Camila laced her fingers together. “You were just trying to be friendly and I… I wasn’t expecting it.”

“To be fair,” Eda rubbed her neck sheepishly. “I did have bad timing.”

“That’s no excuse for my overreaction. I was just worried, you showed up out of nowhere and I assumed the worst of you.”

“Believe me I get it!” Eda pointed to herself. “I’m… new here and there’s a lot I don’t get with social interactions.”

“Oh, are you an immigrant too?” Camila’s eyebrows raised.

“I guess you can say that,” Eda shrugged, feeling a smile creep on her face. “I’ve been coming here for a long time but they were short trips, so I never got familiar with all of your social cues.”

“I have that same problem,” Camila chuckled. “There are so many sayings here that I just don’t understand and I’ve been learning English since high school.”

“English I can get, no problem,” Eda tried to ignore the pounding in her heart she had felt after hearing Camila’s laugh. “But… I struggle with the little things. Body language and stuff like that.”

“I honestly wouldn’t have guessed you weren’t from here. Your English is excellent, what country are you from?”

“Well, ummm...” She avoided looking at Camila, worried that her eyes would betray her. “I… I don’t want to talk about it.”

“Sorry, I didn’t… It’s okay if it’s a sore subject,” Camila’s sympathetic voice made Eda smile. “You don’t need to tell me.”

“I just…” Eda looked back up. “I can’t really go back right now.”

That worried look from yesterday reappeared on Camila’s face.

“Does it…” Camila’s body language changed and she moved a little closer to the door. Not by much but enough that Eda noticed it. “Does it have to do with you being a criminal?”

_ Oh Titan! _

“Well, yeah…” Eda’s voice broke in panic. Of course this was why Camila was frightened. She thought Eda was some sort of mass murderer or something. “But it’s not like I killed anyone or stole things directly from people! It’s… Where I’m from, the kind of person I am isn’t… Welcome to society. I have to live on the fringes and rummage from dumpsters. But people know what I am so I’m always treated like a criminal.”

“What do you mean by what you are?” Camila’s voice warbled. “Do you mean-”

“It’s not what you think!”

“-It’s because you’re attracted to women?” Camila asked.

Eda was confused for a moment. Why would it be a bad thing to be attracted to women? It was totally normal on the Boiling Isles.

_ Humans are weird if they’re hung up on that kind of thing. But… it does work well for right now. _

“Yeah…” Eda sighed. 

She hated that she was lying but was also glad that it was only half a lie.

“I see… ” Camila approached the door. “I… I need to go to work. If… If you want… Umm… Sunday-”

“Yes!” Eda all but shouted.

“... I didn’t even get to say what it was.”

“It doesn’t matter,” Eda shook her head, praying to the Titan that she wasn’t grinning like a mad cat. “I’m in!”

“It’s not a date,” Camila said matter of factly.

“That’s fine,” Eda answered truthfully.

“Do you want to know what it is before I go inside?” Camila asked as she opened the door.

“Ummm…” Eda tapped a finger to her chin. “No, I like a good surprise. Just tell me where to meet you.”

“Meet me at the library,” Camila slipped inside the door. “Five o’clock pm, okay?”

“Sounds like a plan!” Eda fired off finger guns. “I’m uhh.., sorry again for yesterday.”

“I forgive you,” Camila winked at Eda. “See you Sunday!”

Eda was left alone as Camila finally entered the building. She stood still a minute before doing a double fist bump in the air.

“YES!”

Eda jumped up and started spinning around.

“Yes yes yes yes! I have a chance!”

Taking off in a sprint down the street, Eda headed back to the cabin. As many times as she’d flown on Owlbert, she never felt more weightless in her life. With every step she seemed to bounce five feet off the ground. If it weren’t for the fact she wasn’t trying to get caught on the evening news, she'd be firing off firework spells left and right.

Returning to the cabin much earlier than she planned, Eda soon found herself restless and pacing back and forth as she waited for her feathered friend to return.

“Come on buddy,” Eda looked towards the door as she walked from one end of the room to the other. “I summoned you back… ten seconds ago, what’s taking you so long?”

Ten minutes passed before Owlbert hopped into view. Behind him, being roughly dragged across the ground, was a bag almost as tall as Eda. Impatient as hell, Eda rushed over and took the bag from him. 

“Hurry up, I have so much to tell you!”

Owlbert hooted indignantly as Eda rushed inside. She tossed the bag inside with utter disregard for the sound of breaking glass.

“She doesn’t hate me!” Eda told the owl as he hopped over to the bag and opened it up to begin inspecting the damage.

“She wants me to hang out with her on Sunday. It’s not a date, so it's a bit of a loss there- but hey! I still have a chance!”

Eda strolled over to her nest and plopped down. 

“I’ve made a human friend! Can you believe it? This has got to be a first for any witch,” Eda grinned. “Can you imagine what Mom and Dad would say? They’d disinherit me all over again!”

A soft hoot sounded from across the room, Eda waved her hand at the owl’s general direction.

“Who cares what Lily would think?” Eda snorted. “She’s as romantic as that green haired oracle track girl she swooned over for some titan forsaken reason,” She shook her head. “That witch was so straight you could use her as a level.”

Eda sat up and looked over at Owlbert, who was in the process of sorting what objects they could sell at their weekend stall.

“Do you think she’s straight?”

Owlbert turned his head one hundred eighty degrees to look at Eda, and offered a simple hoot.

“Well, apparently it’s not something that’s normalized here. She asked me if I was kicked out of where I’m from because of liking women.”

Eda sighed and fell back into the nest.

“And like an idiot I said that was it. I couldn’t tell her I was a witch, obviously. Besides, I do like women, so it’s not a full lie.”

Owlbert remained silent as he sorted through garbage and other found treasures.

“I think it’ll be okay for now. I’m sure there are things she’s not going to tell me about herself,” Eda ran a hand through her hair. “Ugh, I don’t know. What do you think?”

Owlbert answered with a chirp, and Eda nodded.

“Fair, nothing to do but wait for Sunday.”

\--- --- ---

The wait for Sunday felt longer than the entirety of Eda’s stay on Earth. Every day seemed to drag on as the witch went about her normal routine. Looting on Thursday, rummaging through garbage on Friday, then returning to the Boiling Isles on Saturday to sell her goods and buy more elixir.

“Human goods, come and get them!” Eda called to passing demons and witches. 

Business was slow but she managed to sell some high priced items. The suction cup with a wooden handle was especially popular (she found them all the time but no one needed to know that). It was useful for grabbing things out of reach, like a crystal ball. Eda always wondered what humans used them for, and why they were always throwing them away.

_ Oh well, better business for me! _

As the hours passed, waves of customers came and went. Tourists visiting Bonesborough were easy targets, but harder to con were the wealthy witches visiting their favorite stalls. Especially the Blights, because they never came to the market themselves. They sent servants with explicit instructions to get exactly what they were told to. The richest and least likeable family in the Boiling Isles never felt the need to possess human trash.

Of course, Eda’s biggest problem weren’t wealthy families who wouldn’t support local businesses. No, her real danger here would be-

“Eda Clawthorne, please remain where you are!” An Emperor’s Coven guard shouted from across the marketplace. 

Eda sighed and waved a finger, collapsing her stand and sending her goods packing. With a snap, Owlbert flew over to her in staff form and she hopped on. She soared over the market as the guard yelled some unsavory words at her.

“Yeesh, what are they training them? I bet when Lily gets to running the place she’ll have some serious lectures on not cussing out escaping wild witches.”

Once she was out of danger, back to the outskirts of Bonesborough, she touched down. The day hadn’t been unsuccessful but she had hoped to make a little more. She’d have enough to refill her elixir but it would’ve been nice to have some savings in case she needed to return to the Boiling Isles for a while.

With a sigh, Eda reached into her hair and dug around for the key to return to the Human Realm. It was an old artifact, one of only two that Eda knew about. The other belonged to-

“Hello Edalyn.”

Chills ran down Eda’s spine, not the nervous kind that she got from Camila but the kind that let her know danger was close. The kind she started getting after her older sister joined the coven that was now actively trying to arrest her.

“Hey there Lily,” Edalyn turned around to find herself face to face with another masked guard. Get rid of the mask sis, no need to hide your face when I’d recognize you a mile away with it on.”

“I’d break about a dozen protocols doing so,” The masked figure sighed. “Can you please just let me leave it on? It’s such a pain to put on.”

“Seriously Lily?” Eda pinched the bridge of her nose. “You’re trying to sell a coven that has uncomfortable uniforms? I like feeling comfortable when I work, you know.”

“So detention was a comfortable place to do schoolwork?” Lilith approached Eda, and though the air was thick between them, Eda knew her sister wouldn’t actually harm her.

“Please, I didn’t do schoolwork there,” Eda said, rolling her eyes. “The detention room was for napping and checking out the cute seniors.”

“Must you turn everything into a joke Edalyn? If you turn yourself in I can negotiate for you to join the coven after a few months of community service-”

“What happened to letting me in straight away?” Eda’s raised an eyebrow. “I thought the heat on me wasn’t that bad.”

Lilith’s shoulders sagged and Eda frowned.

“... Edalyn… they caught Mad Hattie… she’s in the Conformatorium.”

Eda’s arms dropped to her side. Mad Hattie had been the second most wanted wild witch on the Isles. That meant Eda....

“So I’m number two now?” Lilith nodded, and Eda felt her blood boil. “Okay, any chance you guys plan on capturing Ronin soon or is he still outside of your reach?”

“I don’t know Edalyn, I’m just a grunt,” Lilith moved closer, reaching out a gloved hand and placed it on Eda’s shoulder. “But things will only get harder for you if you keep this up. Please, you don’t need to come back yet but sooner rather than later would be best. I can’t protect you forever.”

Eda reached up and took Lilith’s hand. She held it for a moment before dropping it and turning away.

“I’ll… I’ll think about it,” Eda reached into her hair and pulled out the portal key. “And I hate to leave you with this news… but…”

“Hannah’s dead,” Eda turned around in surprise, not at the fact Lilith knew but in her cold tone. How matter of factly she said it. “People die, it’s unfortunate but that’s how it goes.”

“Th-- that’s it?! Have you at least visited her grave?”

“Why?” Lilith shrugged. “We hadn’t talked to her in years.”

“I did!” Eda retorted. “She was the only adult that ever showed us an ounce of actual kindness and never expected anything out of it. Whenever I needed someone to talk to, she would listen. Anytime I felt like there was nothing left for me, I could turn to her for comfort. Maybe you forgot about her- but I never did.”

Eda hit the eye on the key. A briefcase flew out of her hair, transforming into a door. It opened up to reveal the cabin.

“See you around Lily,” Eda walked through the door, refusing to turn around so she could hide her tears from Lilith. Once she was back inside the cabin, Eda clicked the eye again. The door closed and folded into a briefcase at her side.

Eda collapsed onto the floor, weeping uncontrollably. It wasn’t the first time Eda had heard of a wild witch getting captured, but the fact that she was one of two left… It made her feel sick. 

Emperor Belos began his crusade against covenless witches one year after he rose to power and set up the coven system. Anyone who didn’t follow in was petrified on sight. It sent a clear message: get in line or die.

Things chilled out once the Conformatorium was built. It was meant to be a place where wild witches would be re-educated and reconditioned. Petrifications were reserved for those who showed resistance to change. Eda was certain that Mad Hattie was destined to end up a statue, that old nutter was one of a kind and nothing could change that.

That left her and the mysterious Ronin left. No one knew much about the wanderer. Some say he was the last of a near successful group that tried to kill Belos. Others believed that he was so elusive that it was impossible to catch him. Everyone and their great-grand ghoul had a story about when they saw Ronin from across the marketplace or ordering food in a restaurant.

_ We’re all that’s left aren’t we. Me, hiding out in another dimension and someone who no one could describe with any accuracy. If he catches us, Belos wins and his position will remain unchallenged... I wonder if any from the younger generation will disobey?  _

Eda shook her head.

_ Probably not, he’s had 50 years to drill into the whole Isles not to step out of line. I was the first wild witch in how many years? And now I’ll probably be the last. _

Eda wiped her eyes. Being scared was terrifying, but that wasn’t why she was crying.

_ And then there’s Lily. She doesn’t care anymore, does she? She cares about me but that’s it isn’t it? She didn’t care about Hannah, and didn’t seem to mind when mom and dad died. I’m worried she’s getting too involved with that stupid coven. _

Eda snapped her fingers, her staff flying over to her. She twisted Owlbert off and brought him close to her.

“Hey buddy,” Eda’s voice was unsteady. “You saw Lily too. She’s not the same... I’m getting really scared.

Owlbert wrapped his wings around Eda’s head, softly cooing.

“Why can’t I be happy?” Eda asked the owl. “I want Camila, my sister, my freedom and my safety, why do I have to choose between them? How come I’m the bad daughter for wanting more for myself than what mom and dad planned?”

The owl didn’t answer, instead bringing himself closer to her.

“Thanks Owlbert,” Eda stood up. “You always know what to say.”

Eda chuckled at her joke, and the owl fluttered over to the bag filled with Eda’s clothes and hooted. Eda tilted her head in confusion.

“I already told you it’s not a date, why do I need to worry about what I’m going to wear?”

The owl narrowed his eyes at her. Eda glanced down and saw that, yes, she had been wearing her red dress for the last three days.

“Point taken,” Eda walked over to the bag. “Guess it’s time to dress up.”

—- —- —-

Eda woke up and knew that her curse was back in effect. It had been really unpredictable this week. Most likely because her emotional state was all over the place. Like all magic, emotions affected her ability to keep her curse in check. The curse had the easiest time rearing its head while she slept. Even so, she’d noticed a few feathers sprouting during the evening and late at night the last couple of days. 

_ Hopefully it never happens if we ever actually go out on a date. That would be hard… no… impossible to explain to her. What could I say? “Sorry, I’m allergic to crab and it makes me turn into a bird monster. Did I not mention that sooner?” _

Eda rolled her eyes as she downed the elixir. 

_ Way to think things through. You’re attracted to someone who can’t know that you could lose control of yourself at any moment and kill her. _

Eda pushed that thought to the back of her mind. Today was just about getting to know Camila. Who was this person that Eda was falling harder for than a downed griffin? What did Camila like? What was she studying? 

Hours passed at a snail’s crawl. Eda spent the time counting her earning from the day before. It wasn’t too bad considering the Emperor’s Coven found her sooner than she expected. Thankfully this time around she managed to make it out with her entire stash. If anything had been learned from yesterday, it was that she could be found out at any moment. Maybe a new approach was needed. Quality over quantity.

“Alright Owlbert,” Eda unscrewed the owl off her staff. “You know the drill right? I want to see some good stuff when I get back. Yesterday was a bit of a bust but we can turn that around! We just need that one valuable that no one else has ever seen. Something even Belos or those stuck up Blights wouldn’t say no to!”

Owlbert raised a wing in salute. Then he took off, flying out the door in a rush. After her long walk on Wednesday, she would’ve liked to take him, but she wanted to make sure Camila wouldn’t see any magic. So it would be a taxi ride there instead.

Eda pulled out a human phone and dialed the taxi number a bartender had given her ( _ Did he give it to me at the bar so I could get home or from his place so his wife wouldn’t find me?).  _ After a few minutes, a yellow cab pulled up and Eda got in. The taxi driver knew where the library was, which was great because she had avoided that building like the plague.

The fare wasn’t too bad, Eda had paid more in the really big cities humans built. She gave the driver a tip, because what was she going to do with the leftover human money she had? In front of her was a white brick building. There was only one level and even from here Eda could smell the learning and old books.

“Great,” Eda said to herself. “I’m falling in love with a bookworm, wouldn’t Lily be so proud of me?”

Eda leaned against the wall, adjusting her position every few seconds to seem as cool as she could be.

“Hey Camila,” She practiced. “What’s up, so this a study thing or… Nope. Wassup Camila? How you- NO! Hello Cami, so you excit- Cami! Eda, you know better than pet names on the first date.”

Another minute passed, Eda was thankful that Owlbert convinced her to wear her flannel shirt. It wasn’t cold but the warm material was comforting. She really hoped that Camila would like her sense of style. She wasn’t used to wearing more than one outfit a week but it was pretty fun.

The doors to the library opened behind Eda. She had no intention of looking at the library, but that all changed when she heard Camila start speaking to her.

“Hola… I mean hello Eda.”

Eda turned around as slickly as she could. She felt ready to make a good first, or fourth, impression. With her confident pose, smirk that could charm a basilisk, and her devil may care attitude, she felt ready to take on the world.

Then she saw the stroller and her heart stopped.


End file.
